


Always Tired But Never of You

by BacchikoiBae



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Changkyun is unironically Kihyun's baby, Fluff, Gen, Sleepy Cuddles, Sleepy cute maknae, hyungs are whipped af, mentions of sock ghost, pure fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-09
Updated: 2017-06-09
Packaged: 2018-10-31 22:00:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10908297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BacchikoiBae/pseuds/BacchikoiBae
Summary: Six occasions where Changkyun finds somewhere safe to sleep.





	Always Tired But Never of You

**Author's Note:**

> i haven't written in literal years someone help

* * *

"Um, Changkyun?"

"Hi, hyung."

Jooheon was expecting an explanation of some sort, but he didn't get one. He blinked a few times to focus his bleary vision on the boy next to him before opening his mouth again.

"What are you doing in my bed?"

Not that Changkyun wasn't welcome in Jooheon's bed, but it was just so sudden, waking up to the boy next to him when he'd gone to bed alone just a few hours before.

Changkyun gave no reply. He gazed up innocently at Jooheon, looking somewhere between uncertain and completely exhausted. Jooheon had to sit up to elicit a response from him.

"I heard a ghost."

Jooheon could've died right then, for several reasons. For one, Changkyun, as much as he pretended he wasn't cute, was actually insanely cute, especially in these kind of situations. His bangs were hanging in his eyes, tickling his eyelashes while he blinked up at Jooheon with that trusting puppy gaze. He was all bundled up in one of Wonho's hoodies. He was clinging, quite cutely, to Jooheon's blanket. The definition of adorable, really.

For another, Jooheon really didn't like ghosts.

"What do you mean?" 

"I heard the sock ghost, hyung."

The sock-eating ghost in the laundry room was, up until that very moment, just a little inside joke. They were all convinced that it was just the dryer sucking up their socks, or perhaps their own carelessness that was causing the odd sock disappearance once or twice a week. Changkyun's underwear also mysteriously went missing a lot too, but they figured his undergarments were suffering the same fate as the socks. Why it was only his underwear disappearing was anyone's guess.

"Shut up," Jooheon breathed. They'd already been talking in hushed whispers, seeing as Kihyun had goddamn supersonic hearing that was seemingly heightened after 11PM, but suddenly Jooheon could scarcely muster even half a decibel of sound at the mention of ghosts.

"I'm serious."

Changkyun was always serious. Even when he was joking he gave off an air of seriousness. That wasn't to say his jokes weren't funny, because the hyungs all lived for his unique brand of silliness, but he also didn't ever outright lie, especially not to Jooheon. In fact, he told Jooheon everything, openly and honestly, or at least more than he told the other hyungs, and this was sounding like a confession of some sort; one he would only make to Jooheon.

"You were dreaming," Jooheon murmured, more as a comfort to himself than Changkyun. As honored as he was that the younger would come to him for protection, he was a little scared himself. If he'd wanted reassurance he would've been better off going to Hyunwoo or Kihyun.

Changkyun shook his head, again, quite cutely. His trusting gaze never left Jooheon's.

"I haven't even gone to sleep yet."

Jooheon squinted at the alarm clock on the nightstand, reading 4:32AM. He let out a sigh. Normally, the two of them would be up late together, writing, rhyming, scheming, and composing, but there were times when Changkyun stayed up on his own. Jooheon could only assume he'd been on the couch this whole time, scribbling in his various notebooks and composing melody lines on his laptop. They'd managed to convince their youngest to stay at the dorm to work if it was going to be just him because, admittedly, they were quite protective and refused to let him stay at the studio overnight if Jooheon wasn't going to be with him.

"I heard him, hyung," he repeated softly in his cute sleepy voice.

"Changkyun, please stop."

"I'm just telling you because I'm scared."

"Why did you come to me, then?" Jooheon squeaked. A part of him was ashamed of how cowardly he was being, because he was a hyung, goddammit, but dealing with ghosts wasn't exactly in the job description. What was he supposed to do? Chase it out of the dorm? Tell it to get out? He'd do no such thing. If it were a living person giving Changkyun troubles he would've been the first one trying to fight them, but he couldn't exactly swing at a spirit.

"Because you won't laugh at me."

The kid had a point. Jooheon was too scared to laugh.

"What did you hear, exactly?"

"The ghost," Changkyun replied incredulously.

"I mean," Jooheon sighed. "What sound did the ghost make?"

It took Changkyun a moment to put what he'd heard into words. He rubbed his eye with his hoodie sleeve, pulled over his knuckles. Jooheon was convinced he had to be acting this adorable on purpose, because he was moments from melting at the sight, and he wouldn't put it past the maknae to play up his cuteness to get attention or sympathy. Jooheon was guilty of it too sometimes, though, so he couldn't exactly call him out on it.

"I heard the dryer turn on, then it turned off right away, so I got up to peek into the laundry room, but the light was off, so I figured no one was in there. Then when I turned around I heard some scraping noises, but I didn't go in to see what it was because I was scared."

"Could've been one of the hyungs," Jooheon suggested, and honestly, he was convinced that had to be what Changkyun had heard because he was surprisingly calm about the whole situation despite the horror he'd apparently just experienced. Even being scared enough to get in bed with Jooheon, he wasn't even crying like Jooheon certainly would've been. 

It was then that Changkyun (cutely) shook his head. He seemed more worried about convincing Jooheon that he was telling the truth than he was about apparently just hearing a dead person.

"Hyungs are all asleep. I checked."

Well, that settled it, in Jooheon's mind. Changkyun had just survived an encounter with the sock ghost, because how else would he have heard those noises? Of course the other hyungs would've had logical explanations, he knew, but Jooheon was still half-asleep and it made perfect sense that there would be a ghost in the laundry room at this time of night.

"Okay, well," Jooheon swallowed. He nestled back down next to Changkyun and pulled him to his chest, not only to comfort him but also himself. Now he wasn't sure he'd ever want to stay up late again, if he was going to be dealing with a ghost. "I guess I can't kick you out."

The younger sighed softly, breath warming Jooheon's neck as he offered a grateful, adorable little smile.

"Thanks, hyung. I hope he doesn't take any more of my underwear while he's in there."

Jooheon almost laughed. It occurred to him that they'd never actually heard the sock ghost before then, and there was really nothing they could do about it even if there was a ghost, but if it meant Changkyun was going to be climbing in his bed a few nights every week, he could probably live with it. 

-

Wonho liked to think of himself as a prince, and the studio was his castle. He felt safe there, on the little kingdom he'd built with his members. There was something about doing what he felt like he was born to do, surrounded by people he could truly be himself with, that gave him a taste of true happiness. He didn't have to keep up an image or look pretty, because more often than not they were all barefaced and dressed in the clothes they'd wear for dance practice anyway, and no one could say anything about it.

Next to the gym, it was his favorite place to be, and music was his favorite hobby. He liked working out a lot too, but he couldn't exactly spend all day doing it. At least not every day, like he could with making music. 

"Making music is like working out for your soul," as Changkyun had so tactfully put it once.

"You don't even work out anyway, 'kyun. What do you know?" Wonho had replied, though thinking back on it now the boy couldn't have worded it more perfectly. Wonho felt like his soul had been to hell and back, each time they made an album. He didn't know how the maknaes did it, writing their own raps for each song. He was often so nervous about his own lyrics that he could hardly sleep during their days spent writing and composing.

Speaking of sleep, he hadn't been getting much of it since their last comeback. None of them had, working equally hard trying to get the album wrapped up and their choreography presentable. They had some time off to record now, but they were still used to their hectic schedule, sleeping for only a few hours at a time in weird and sometimes uncomfortable places.

He watched as Changkyun exited the booth after recording his lines, greeted by unanimous approval from the hyungs as he entered the lounge.

"Good flow as always, Changkyun-ah."

"Yeah, and with that deep voice of yours? Aigoo, Monbebes will die."

"The song isn't even done yet and I'm sure your part is gonna be my favorite."

"Remind me why you haven't left us and gone solo yet."

Wonho and the rest of the hyungs had made it their mission in life to get the maknae to blush with all their praise and compliments, and though he did get quite embarrassed by it from time to time, he didn't ever blush. His ears got red sometimes, but never his face. It had only gotten harder to fluster him, now that they'd known each other for so long and were used to each other's responses. Jooheon theorized that maybe the younger was incapable of blushing. They figured that it wasn't humanly possible, but then again, they weren't even sure Changkyun was a real person at times for all his weirdness and absolute perfection, so it wouldn't surprise them. 

Minhyuk was up to record after the maknae. On his way to the booth, he affectionately ruffled the younger's hair. Changkyun watched him go, smiling softly, and Wonho felt a twinge of jealousy. He wondered why the younger hadn't sat down yet, then it occurred to him that there weren't any open seats left for him. Even Minhyuk had been sitting on the arm of the couch before getting up to record. Due to a recent remodeling of the building, some of the furniture in the studio had been moved out and there wasn't enough seating to accommodate all of them.

Normally, Wonho would've advised the younger to perch himself on the table or the couch arm that Minhyuk had been sitting at, but Changkyun was clearly exhausted. Rapping that perfectly had to take a lot out of him, even on a good day, and Wonho knew they were all running on empty as it was.

"Changkyun-ah, come over here," Wonho beckoned from his seat on the plush leather chair near the soundboard. Changkyun slipped by Jooheon and Hyunwoo, earning a few firm pats on the ass which he apparently didn't have the energy to retaliate against, as he didn't give any acknowledgment. He stood next to the chair, looking at Wonho expectantly.

Wonho signaled the younger to sit in his lap. It was becoming an increasingly regular occurrence for Changkyun to sit in his hyungs' laps; anywhere from crowded dressing rooms to cafés with limited seating. They'd explained to him that it was because he was the smallest and the lightest, and also because he should let his hyungs sit down first and all that, but really, it was them being selfish. He wasn't one for engaging skinship, so they had to take it wherever they could.

Changkyun, apparently not in the mood to fight back, shrugged before taking Wonho up on his offer. He sat on the arm of the chair and laid back, draping himself across the older's legs. Wonho wasn't satisfied with this, however, and pulled the younger's head over to rest against his shoulder.

"You look tired," Wonho murmured to him. He nodded against his hyung's shoulder. The others had smiled at the two before returning their focus to Minhyuk. Wonho caught the envious looks in their eyes, but he didn't mind it. In fact, he was glad he was the first to offer the younger a place to sit. "I'm proud of you for working so hard, but don't overdo it, okay? You need your rest."

Changkyun nodded again, his forehead pressed against Wonho's neck. After a few minutes the maknae had dozed off, his breaths soft and even against Wonho's chest. They listened to Minhyuk singing, Wonho resisting the urge to nod off himself. He wondered if he'd have to carry the younger back to the dorm, when they were done. Not that he'd mind that.

He wouldn't mind at all, really.

-

"Kihyun, you gonna make lunch or should I order takeout?" Wonho inquired, poking his head into the living room. With all the other members combined they maybe had half the cooking capabilities that Kihyun did, and he was busy taking care of their sick youngest member at the moment.

Kihyun didn't acknowledge him, too absorbed in observing the maknae, curled on his side with a blanket pulled over him. Changkyun had had a rough night, leading to a visit to Urgent Care, and Kihyun had only just managed to get the boy to sleep.

"What are you doing?" Wonho questioned, moving to stand beside the couch.

"I'm worried about him," came Kihyun's reply, touching the back of his hand to Changkyun's cheek.

"He's okay. Just let him sleep."

"But he's breathing weird."

"People do that when they're sick, Kihyun, he's alright."

Kihyun would've been more annoyed that Wonho didn't seem concerned, except Wonho was the one crying about Changkyun needing to go to the hospital for his fever the previous night. He'd kind of wanted to cry himself though, so he wasn't one to talk.

After some thought, he reluctantly rose from his seat by Changkyun's head and went into the kitchen with Wonho following behind. He was about to leave for the gym, and probably expected to eat when he came back. 

"Sorry," Kihyun murmured as he began rifling through the fridge for ingredients.

"Don't be. We're lucky you're here to take care of him."

Wonho gave him a squeeze on the shoulder before grabbing his gym bag and leaving. Kihyun managed to distract himself with chopping vegetables for a few minutes. He hadn't wanted to leave the maknae alone, but he had other people to take care of, and he just couldn't ignore the obligation he felt toward them. Sometimes he wished he wasn't so goddamn soft.

Once he'd thrown some rice into the rice cooker, figuring that a portion that big would keep his boys satisfied until dinner, he cleaned up and reentered the living room, expecting to find Changkyun still asleep. What he found instead was Changkyun lying curled on his side exactly as he'd left him, blinking slowly at the TV which he clearly wasn't actually watching.

"You're supposed to be sleeping, Changkyun-ah," he chided softly as he bent down to feel the boy's forehead again. 

His fever had gone down significantly from the night before, and he hadn't thrown up for a few hours now, but Kihyun was still worried. He was more than worried, actually. He kind of wanted to cry, still. He found it sort of funny when the other members got sick, when they were whiny and weak and tired, but with Changkyun, it was different. He already kind of gave Kihyun the underlying impression of a lost, helpless puppy. Of course he knew Changkyun was a perfectly capable, independent human being who didn't need Kihyun to hover over him at every moment, but it was hard for him to accept at times. Now he had a lost, helpless puppy who also had the flu. He could practically feel his heart breaking. The boy didn't deserve this.

"Don't wanna," Changkyun murmured, his already deep voice made hoarse by his sore throat. Kihyun pushed the boy's damp bangs back from his eyes.

"Why not?"

"It hurts," the younger rasped. His eyebrows were drawn close together in a wince. Kihyun had to swallow back the lump in his throat, because if there was one thing Changkyun was good at, truly good at, it was making Kihyun's heart ache. 

"What hurts, baby?"

"Everything."

Changkyun brought a sleeved hand up to cover his mouth and coughed roughly. Kihyun sat down next to the younger, rubbing comforting and soothing circles on his back. He could feel the boy shivering beneath his fingers, despite his fever. It had been like this since he'd returned from the hospital, but it didn't get any easier on Kihyun to see him like this.

"Do you wanna take some medicine?" Kihyun asked, and fuck, why did he have to phrase it like the maknae had a choice? He couldn't help it. Now Changkyun was going to say no, because he, like any normal human being, hated taking medicine. That wasn't to say Kihyun couldn't coerce him into taking some, because Changkyun was a gift from God who did whatever his hyungs told him to, but could Kihyun find it in his heart to so? Of course not. Not with Changkyun looking at him with those sad puppy eyes. Fuck, when did he let this boy wrap him around his little finger?

Changkyun looked up at him, eyes watery from his coughing fit. He looked like he wanted to say no, and of course he didn't want to.

"Do you want me to lay down with you?" Kihyun coaxed softly, gently squeezing the boy's arm. They'd try the medicine thing later, maybe when Changkyun wasn't looking at him like that. Maybe he'd have Hyunwoo do it so he wouldn't have to be the bad guy.

Changkyun didn't nod, not exactly, but he seemed much more receptive to the idea than he was about medicine. Kihyun helped the boy sit up and scoot to the middle cushion while Kihyun moved to lay down with his head against the arm of the couch. Once he was settled, the younger eased back to lie mostly on top of Kihyun, his breath catching as he felt all his aching muscles relaxing. Kihyun rubbed comforting circles against his back.

Kihyun's touch was apparently enough to soothe Changkyun, and the younger was out again within minutes, breathing unevenly but softly. Kihyun draped his arms protectively over the maknae's back. He figured they would just have to order takeout when it came time for dinner, because there was no way in hell he was going to move from this spot.

-

When Hyungwon woke up, he realized a few things. For one, it was too damn bright. He struggled to keep his eyes open at the TV screen flickering across from him. For another, he was cold. Freezing, actually. His nose was numb and so were his fingers and toes.

With some difficulty, he rolled over and grappled for the TV remote on the nightstand, knocking over his water bottle in the process. He half expected not to hear the water slosh as it hit the carpet, because surely it would've frozen solid in their icebox of a hotel room.

He turned the TV off and, reluctantly, rolled out of bed and crossed the room to the A/C humming with airflow in the corner near the window. They'd neglected to turn it off before going to sleep, and upon checking the temperature gauge on the unit he found that the room was a cool 65 degrees. So, maybe not an icebox, but he couldn't handle cold well anyway. He turned the airflow off and moved the the opposite side of the bed he'd rolled out of to check on the boy sleeping beside him.

Manager-hyung had said they could save money by getting hotel rooms with only one bed, and Hyungwon had been alright with it for the most part. Though he'd prefer a bed to himself should he want to sprawl out in the middle of the night, or roll himself up in the blankets like some kind of handsome burrito, there wasn't a member he would be uncomfortable sleeping next to, and it meant he had someone to press his cold feet against in the middle of the night. It wasn't like he wouldn't just sprawl out and steal the covers anyway, depending on who he was paired with. If he got Kihyun or Wonho, he'd certainly get shoved off the bed or whacked in the face. He was hoping for Hyunwoo or Jooheon, though he'd settle for Minhyuk too. Best case scenario, he got Changkyun.

Their manager had picked who would be rooming with who, seeing as everyone had tried to put in a case for the single room at one point or another, and Hyungwon thanked his lucky stars when the maknae was shoved in his direction.

"Me and you, kkukkung," he'd teased, tossing an arm over the shorter boy's shoulders and pressing his forehead to the younger's temple. Changkyun had only given him a resigned smirk while the others stood glaring at Hyungwon. He couldn't blame them. Changkyun was a very docile and gentle sleeper, not one to toss and turn or roll around once he was settled. He could be used as a cuddle object or personal heater without complaint or excessive movement. He also never snored or hogged blankets, making him not only the ideal roommate, but also bedmate. Of course he would be everyone's first choice. Not to mention, he was arguably the easiest member to wake up in the mornings, while Hyungwon was the hardest, which was probably Manager-hyung's reasoning in putting the two together.

Hyungwon didn't get to sleep in the same room with Changkyun as much as he would've liked, so he could admit to his selfish excitement in getting put in a bed with him. Sure, he hung out with the kid every waking hour of the day, but that just wasn't enough for him.

Changkyun, polite little gift of a dongsaeng that he was, insisted that Hyungwon shower first when they got to their room late that night after a long day of dance performances and photo shoots. Hyungwon took him up on the offer, trying to hurry despite the unlimited hot water they usually took advantage of in hotels, and afterwards he sat on their single bed, finding himself doing scarcely more than waiting for Changkyun to get done with his shower. He couldn't even concentrate on what was playing on TV, the same TV they'd later forget to turn off. At some point Minhyuk came knocking because he'd forgotten toothpaste, which reminded Hyungwon that he had also, but he knew Changkyun had plenty, so he wasn't worried. He told Minhyuk to bother Kihyun over the matter and sent the hyung on his way.

Changkyun emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later, toweling off his hair.

"Who was that, hyung?" he inquired, pausing at the foot of the bed.

"Minhyuk. He forgot toothpaste. I did too, by the way. I was gonna use yours, if that's okay with you."

"Yeah, that's fine," Changkyun agreed, smiling gently. Hyungwon loved that about him. He didn't care that Hyungwon was stupid sometimes. Nothing seemed to truly bother their maknae, save for a few things that maybe only Jooheon knew about, which he was mostly fine with. He could understand why the maknae could be so withdrawn at times. Well, not really, but he understood Changkyun, and therefore he had to try to trust the younger's reasons for doing things. That wasn't to say he wasn't a little sad that Changkyun didn't share much of his inner thoughts with the hyungs, but he wanted the boy to come out of his shell at his own pace.

"Come let hyung dry your hair," he offered, patting the space in front of him on the bed. Changkyun moved around the bed to sit in front of him, letting Hyungwon rub the towel over his hair. He made a show of ruffling it and covering the younger's eyes, which earned a laugh and a playful shove from him.

Afterward, Changkyun had noiselessly crawled beneath the covers beside Hyungwon, and in a rare gesture, leant his head against Hyungwon's shoulder as they sat watching whatever was on TV; some cooking program Hyungwon had thought was interesting. Hyunwoo had told them to get to bed at a decent hour, but they both stayed up until almost 1AM, saying nothing yet quite content with one another's presence. 

Looking at the boy now, Changkyun must've moved away and rolled over, and it made something in Hyungwon's chest ache. He knew that people, even Changkyun (who was barely a person sometimes), moved around in their sleep, so he couldn't exactly rationalize his feelings, but he'd expected more cuddling when he agreed to room with the younger.

Hyungwon brushed the bangs from the maknae's eyes before moving around the bed and lying back down, crawling beneath the covers and sulking, facing his bedmate. He was just about to roll over when Changkyun softly shifted beneath the sheets, and Hyungwon watched with an unfathomable amount of joy rising in his chest as the younger languidly rolled over to face him, exhaling softly once he was settled again.

Hyungwon watched and waited for any other signs that he would wake, but Changkyun was sound asleep, apparently unbothered by the cold room. Hyungwon scooted closer and carefully wrapped an arm around him, sighing at the warmth he offered. Changkyun was by no means as warm as Jooheon or Hyunwoo, perhaps because he was so small, but Hyungwon could forgive that.

He could forgive literally anything, if it was for Changkyun.

He pulled the boy closer, tossing a leg over his and nestling in. Changkyun seemed comforted by the touch, sighing softly against Hyungwon's collarbone. He could smell the younger's shampoo and his soft hair tickled Hyungwon's neck. He drifted off again, making a note to room with Changkyun like this more often.

-

Hyunwoo flopped down on the couch, resisting the urge to run a hand through his hair. They still had a press conference to attend after this, and he really didn't want to be taking up more of the makeup noonas' time if he didn't have to. Minhyuk and Kihyun were getting touch-ups, Hyungwon had gone to the bathroom, and Wonho was shamelessly walking around half-naked while he waited for the noonas to pick out his new outfit. Jooheon was curled up in one of the overstuffed chairs nearby, checking Twitter on Kihyun's iPad. Accounting for all but one of his members, he sat up a little and was about to ask Jooheon where Changkyun was, when he realized the maknae was sitting on the couch next to him, having apparently materialized there while he was in deep thought. He hadn't even felt a dip in the cushions.

"We need to get you a bell, kid," Hyunwoo chuckled.

"A bell? I'm not a cat, hyung," the younger pouted. Changkyun could certainly be loud and make his presence known when and if he wanted to; it was just that being seen and heard wasn't usually his thing. He was always giving them heart attacks pretty much anywhere they went, because he'd suddenly pop up here and there, coming and going unannounced. It baffled the shit out the hyungs, and he didn't seem to have any secret or technique to his disappearances and reappearances. He was just there sometimes, and then he wasn't. 

 _We're lucky he isn't naughty_ , Kihyun had said once, and Hyunwoo could agree with that. A sneaky maknae who was also a troublemaker? He didn't think he could handle it. Changkyun was good, though. It was that cute innocent personality of his. He knew how to lie to get his way, and how to cheat when they played board games on Friday nights, and how to steal food from their plates when they weren't looking, but that didn't mean he'd actually do those things. Hyunwoo was almost sad that he wasn't as loud or annoying as other maknaes, but he was also grateful in a way.

"Are you sure you're not? You sure like biting me every time I try to give you my love."

That gave Changkyun something to think about for a few moments. He stared ahead of him at the floor, and Hyunwoo thought that would be the end of their conversation.

"Okay, maybe I am," he admitted.

Hyunwoo smiled and reached over to softly bump the back of his hand against the younger's cheek a few times. Changkyun yawned afterward, covering his mouth with the sleeve of his jacket. How he managed to perform in so many layers without even breaking a sweat, Hyunwoo would never understand.

"You tired?"

Changkyun didn't reply, rather glancing at Hyunwoo over his shoulder and shrugging. He probably figured Hyunwoo would see his fatigue as a sign of weakness, which stung a little bit, but that was Changkyun's nature. He didn't ever complain, therefore they had no idea how he was feeling if they didn't ask.

"It's okay if you are. You worked hard today," Hyunwoo reassured, moving his hand to squeeze the back of Changkyun's neck. Changkyun bit back a smile, looking away. Hyunwoo knew how much his praise meant to the maknae. He was certainly more than happy to shower the boy with it when he had the chance, and there was certainly no shortage of things the younger could be praised for. Hyunwoo could admit to being a bit jealous of him, in the beginning. Changkyun was good at everything, and when he wasn't immediately good at something, he learned to be good at it in due time. Of course he didn't harbor any negative feelings towards the younger now, but it was something that he felt guilty about from time to time.

After a moment, Changkyun was rubbing his eyes, the slump in his shoulders making it apparent that he would benefit greatly from a power nap.

"You can lay down for a bit. I'll wake you up when it's time to go," Hyunwoo suggested, moving his hand down to gently stroke the boy's spine. He subtly patted his lap with his free hand, not even sure the younger would see the gesture. Changkyun, apparently having been waiting for permission, immediately adjusted his position to lie down with his head in Hyunwoo's lap. Hyunwoo carded his finger's gently through the younger's hair, not quite as worried about his hairstyle seeing as the noonas had been going for a tousled look on him anyway.

Changkyun's eyes drifted closed, and his breathing evened out. He looked completely at peace and relaxed. That was the other thing, Hyunwoo thought. Changkyun was fucking beautiful. Inside and out. How did they get so lucky?

Hyunwoo glanced up to get Jooheon's attention so he could see the boy cutely napping in his lap, but Jooheon was already looking, iPad lying forgotten in his lap. He was wearing one of those fond hyung smiles. Hyunwoo knew he was probably smiling that same gentle hyung smile too.

-

They stumbled out of the broadcasting studio at around midnight, and with it being so dark they didn't immediately notice the rain. Once the cold droplets of water made contact with bare skin, however, everyone aside from Hyunwoo let out startled and embarrassingly high-pitched screams. Minhyuk, Wonho, and Jooheon raced each other to the van, pulling at each other's clothes as they ran to slow each other down, while Hyunwoo used his jacket for shelter, allowing Kihyun to fit under with him. Hyungwon pulled his hood on, and Changkyun kept his head down while taking a hold of the back of Hyungwon's jacket for guidance.

"Manager-hyung said it wouldn't rain," Hyungwon groused, leant up against the side of the van. Changkyun had lifted up the back of Hyungwon's jacket and was taking shelter beneath it.

"We should've known better," Wonho replied. "Look, he brought an umbrella."

They stood tugging violently on the door handles while they watched Manager-hyung take his sweet ass time walking across the parking lot after them.

"Could you be any _slower_ , hyung?" Minhyuk yelled, head thrown back as he dramatically hung off the door handle.

Once the van had been unlocked, they filled the seats, playfully shoving one another to get in before they could get completely soaked. They pulled out of the nearly empty parking lot and began the long drive home.

It settled in that they'd probably not get back to the dorm until at least 2AM, which admittedly wasn't very late for them, but they'd had an exhausting day as it was. They'd been yawning and half asleep until the rain woke them up, but with Manager-hyung blasting the heat and the soft music that all the radio stations seemed to play after midnight, they were all beginning to nod off again.

Minhyuk, having a seat next to the window, was still somewhat alert. He was their energizer for a reason. Changkyun, who'd gotten the seat next to him, was a different story. He knew for a fact that the younger hadn't slept much the night before, and from observation over the past few hours he was able to spot all the little tells and signs that Changkyun was fucking _exhausted_. He'd been leaning his head against things, letting his bangs fall into his eyes when they had a few spare moments between wardrobe changes and filming, and he was currently blinking slowly at the light of the street lamps that passed by. They went through a tunnel and were plunged into darkness for perhaps a minute. When they reemerged on the other side of the tunnel, Changkyun had changed positions and was now leant forward, head pressed against the seat in front of him with his neck bent at what looked to be uncomfortable angle. He was already dozing and didn't seem to care, though.

For whatever the reason, Minhyuk felt a startling amount of personal responsibility for Changkyun's well-being. Of course they all did, to some degree, but he was certain he felt it the strongest. Kihyun could argue with him about it all he wanted; Minhyuk was really the one making sure Changkyun was sleeping and eating properly. Next to Jooheon he was probably the one who spent the most time with Changkyun, being the "clingy hyung", as Changkyun called him, which Minhyuk would enthusiastically agree with. Damn right, he was clingy with him. Who wouldn't be? Changkyun was so damn adorable and charming.

He snapped out of his thoughts and nudged the younger to get his attention.

"Kyunnie?"

There was a delay in response from Changkyun before he turned his head to look at Minhyuk, peeking at him through one eye. Minhyuk smiled at him and pulled on his shoulder.

"You can lean on me if you want to sleep."

"You move around too much, hyung," Changkyun argued sleepily, though he was letting Minhyuk pull him closer already, so he clearly didn't care that much about movement.

"I can sit still, if it's for you."

Changkyun sleepily hummed an affirmative and nestled against Minhyuk's shoulder. Minhyuk wrapped an arm around him to hold him closer. He turned to watch the raindrops racing as they slid across the window.

He didn't mind that they were in for a long drive. He wouldn't mind driving all night if it meant he could hold Changkyun like this.

**Author's Note:**

> kihyun's was a deleted scene from my sickfic idk if u could tell. changki isn't even my fav pairing idk why i do this to myself
> 
> just to be clear i'd fuckin swing at a ghost for changkyun idc come at me satan i'll fight you for my baby
> 
> oh yeah thnx for reading ily


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